Moonbound Mates

Chapter Twenty-One

The third morning arrived gray.

Not stormy.

Just overcast enough to dull the sunlight filtering through the cabin windows.

Kael had been awake for hours.

Sleep hadn't come easily.

Every time he closed his eyes, the restless feeling returned.

By dawn, he'd given up entirely.

Now he stood outside on the porch.

Coffee cooling in his hands.

Staring toward the trees.

Again.

The screen door creaked softly behind him.

Evelyn stepped outside.

For a moment, she simply watched him.

The rigid set of his shoulders.

The distant look in his eyes.

The way he seemed unable to stay still for more than a few minutes at a time.

Something wasn't right.

She'd noticed it yesterday.

Today it was worse.

Kael glanced over.

A faint smile appeared immediately.

Automatic.

Familiar.

"Morning."

"Morning."

Evelyn accepted the mug he offered her.

Their fingers brushed briefly.

Neither thought anything of it.

They'd done things like that for years.

For a few moments, neither spoke.

The forest stretched quietly before them.

Still.

Peaceful.

Beautiful.

Kael should have felt relaxed.

Instead, his jaw tightened.

Almost imperceptibly.

Evelyn noticed anyway.

Of course she did.

"Did you sleep?"

The question slipped out before she could stop it.

Kael looked away.

Toward the trees.

"Enough."

The answer came too quickly.

Evelyn didn't call him on it.

Not because she believed him.

Because she knew him.

And she knew when pushing wouldn't help.

The silence returned.

Long.

Thoughtful.

Finally, Evelyn wrapped both hands around her mug.

"I think I'd like to head home this morning."

Kael looked at her immediately.

Concern replacing distraction so quickly it almost hurt.

"Are you alright?"

The question came without hesitation.

Without thought.

Evelyn managed a small smile.

"I'm fine."

He didn't look convinced.

"You don't look fine."

The concern in his voice was genuine.

Real.

Which somehow made this harder.

Evelyn glanced down at her coffee.

Then back toward the lake.

"I just don't feel like myself today."

Not a lie.

Not entirely.

The answer seemed to satisfy him about as much as it satisfied her.

Which was not at all.

Still, after a moment, Kael nodded.

"If you want to leave, we'll leave."

Simple.

Immediate.

No argument.

No frustration.

Just acceptance.

The response didn't surprise her.

It never would have.

Because for all the things that had changed lately—

That part of Kael hadn't.

Evelyn smiled softly.

Then looked out across the water one last time.

Something told her the trip was over.

The ride home was quiet.

Not uncomfortable.

Just peaceful.

The kind of silence that came from years spent in each other's company.

The forest stretched endlessly around them.

Sunlight filtered through the trees.

Birds called somewhere overhead.

For a while, neither spoke.

Evelyn didn't mind.

Normally, neither did Kael.

Today, she found herself watching him.

Not intentionally.

At least, not at first.

It was simply difficult not to.

Over the last two days, something had felt different.

Subtle.

Impossible to name.

And now—

Now she couldn't stop noticing things.

The farther they traveled, the more relaxed he seemed.

Not dramatically.

Just enough.

The tension in his shoulders eased.

His expression softened.

The distant look that had followed him for two days appeared less often.

Eventually, Kael glanced toward her.

"What?"

Evelyn blinked.

"What?"

"You're staring."

A faint smile tugged at her lips.

"I was not."

"You were."

"I was thinking."

"That's usually when people stare."

The response felt familiar.

Comforting.

For a moment, Evelyn almost relaxed.

Almost.

Then Kael smiled.

A real smile.

Easy.

Unforced.

And something twisted unexpectedly in her chest.

Because she hadn't seen that smile once yesterday.

Not really.

The realization arrived quietly.

And settled heavily.

Evelyn looked away.

Toward the trees.

Toward the road.

Toward anything else.

The feeling was ridiculous.

It had to be.

Kael was probably relieved to be heading home.

Most Alphas would be.

Three days away from their pack was a long time.

That was all this was.

Had to be.

Beside her, Kael exhaled slowly.

The sound almost resembled relief.

Evelyn hated that she noticed.

More than that—

She hated that she couldn't stop.

For the rest of the journey, she told herself she was imagining things.

Unfortunately, she wasn't entirely convinced.

____

Rowan woke up hungry.

The realization was so unexpected she simply lay there for a moment.

Staring at the ceiling.

Confused.

Hungry.

Not starving.

Not ravenous.

Just...

Hungry.

For the first time in two days.

Slowly, Rowan sat up.

The movement felt easier than it had yesterday.

The pressure sitting beneath her skin had eased.

Not completely.

Just enough to notice.

Her stomach growled.

Rowan stared at it.

Suspiciously.

"What?"

Nyra sounded unbearably pleased.

Rowan immediately distrusted that tone.

"What?"

The wolf laughed.

A warm, knowing sound.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Probably."

Rowan swung her legs over the side of the bed.

The room no longer felt suffocating.

The restless feeling remained.

But it had softened.

As though someone had finally loosened a knot she hadn't realized was there.

For several moments, she simply sat there.

Thinking.

Then she froze.

"No."

Nyra didn't answer.

Which was answer enough.

Rowan closed her eyes.

The bond.

Gods.

The bond.

He was getting closer.

The realization arrived instantly.

Absolute.

Certain.

Terrifying.

Because there was no other explanation.

Nothing else had changed.

She hadn't slept more.

Hadn't eaten.

Hadn't done anything.

Yet somehow she could breathe again.

Rowan pressed both hands against her face.

"This is ridiculous."

Nyra hummed.

"It is."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"This is completely ridiculous."

The wolf sounded suspiciously amused.

"Still true."

Rowan groaned.

The sound echoed through the empty room.

Then, because apparently the universe enjoyed her suffering—

Her stomach growled again.

Loudly.

Nyra laughed.

Actually laughed.

"Oh, now you want food."

"Don't."

"You flushed perfectly good meals."

"I know."

"You made me watch."

"I KNOW."

The wolf sounded deeply offended.

"That soup looked excellent."

Despite herself, a laugh escaped Rowan.

Small.

Brief.

The first genuine laugh she'd managed in days.

The room fell quiet again.

Not uncomfortable.

Just thoughtful.

Rowan looked toward the window.

Toward the forest beyond it.

Toward the road that eventually led home.

Or maybe not home.

Not anymore.

The thought arrived unexpectedly.

And lingered.

Because for the first time, Rowan found herself wondering something she hadn't allowed herself to consider before.

What happened when the trial ended?

Not what she wanted.

Not what she planned.

Not what she was supposed to do.

What actually happened?

Could she leave?

Would the bond let her?

Would she survive it if she did?

The questions settled heavily in her chest.

One after another.

None of them had answers.

A knock sounded at the door.

Rowan jumped.

Immediately.

Then came a familiar voice.

"Rowan?"

Lyra.

A pause.

Then—

"If you're dead, I'm going to be very annoyed."

Rowan closed her eyes.

Of course.

The knock came again.

More insistent this time.

"Rowan."

Rowan sighed.

"I'm alive."

The silence that followed lasted approximately two seconds.

Then—

"Prove it."

Rowan stared at the door.

"You are impossible."

"Thank you."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

"I choose to believe otherwise."

A beat passed.

Then the handle rattled.

Once.

Twice.

Rowan frowned.

"It's locked."

"I know."

"Why are you trying the handle?"

"I was hoping you'd forgotten."

"Why would I forget?"

"People forget things all the time."

"Not locks."

"That's fair."

Another pause.

Then—

"Can I come in?"

The question surprised Rowan.

Mostly because Lyra had actually asked.

Slowly, she stood.

Crossed the room.

And opened the door.

Lyra took one look at her.

Then frowned.

Immediately.

The teasing vanished.

Just like that.

"Moon Goddess."

Rowan blinked.

"What?"

"You look terrible."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't an insult."

"That's somehow worse."

Lyra stepped inside.

Closing the door behind her.

For a moment, she simply studied Rowan.

The dark circles beneath her eyes.

The exhaustion.

The way she looked like she'd spent the last two days fighting an invisible war.

Something in Lyra's expression shifted.

Concern.

Real concern.

"Rowan."

The humor was gone now.

Completely.

"What's going on?"

Rowan looked away.

Toward the window.

Toward anything except Lyra.

Because she didn't have an answer.

Not one she could explain.

Not one anyone would believe.

Finally, she shrugged.

"I don't know."

The words sounded weak even to her.

Lyra was quiet for a long moment.

Then she sighed.

Not frustrated.

Just worried.

"You should have told me."

Rowan laughed softly.

"What exactly was I supposed to say?"

The question slipped out before she could stop it.

Lyra opened her mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because for once, she didn't have a response.

Instead, she walked over and sat beside Rowan on the bed.

Neither spoke for a while.

The silence settled between them.

Comfortable.

Not awkward.

Just there.

Finally, Lyra bumped her shoulder lightly against Rowan's.

"Well."

Rowan immediately distrusted that tone.

"What?"

"If you're feeling better..."

"I'm listening."

"We missed two days of our girls' trip."

Rowan groaned.

"There she is."

A faint smile appeared on Lyra's face.

Small.

Relieved.

Like she'd been hoping to hear that.

"Good."

The answer came quietly.

Then, after a moment—

"He's coming home today."

The words landed gently.

Without expectation.

Without pressure.

Just information.

Rowan's stomach immediately performed a traitorous little flip.

Lyra noticed, but for once—

She didn't say anything.

Rowan looked toward the window.

Toward the road beyond the trees.

And hated how relieved she felt.